Written by Jasmine Clemente, Bestselling Conscious Author & Yoga Teacher Jasmine Clemente is a Bestselling Author, RYT500 Yoga Teacher, and Spiritual Guide for women on the cusp of profound transformation. Through the ancient wisdom of yoga, the power of storytelling, and the sacred act of journaling, Jasmine empowers women on their self-healing journey. Death. Rebirth. Healing. Trauma. Heartbreak. We’ve all had the feels. And when it gets too painful, sometimes, the only thing left to do is write. Each word moves us forward as we turn the pages of our lives, breathing into the next moment because we have to keep going. If you’ve ever thought about writing personal essays or memoirs, take this as your sign. There’s something primal about the way our hands release our thoughts across the keyboard to share some of our most vulnerable memories. Bravely, we tell our stories, one paragraph at a time, in hopes that someone out there will bring validation to our experiences, readers who can relate. After reading my memoir, More Than One Soulmate, back to myself, I had plenty of aha moments. It was as if I were holding a mirror up to my face, except that I didn’t see my physical features; I saw my invisible patterns through the pages. After all, it was my story, a confession of how I loved and lost myself through several relationships until realizing that true love wasn’t only limited to romantic connections, but could also be found through the lens of a much deeper spiritual understanding of the world. If you think that sharing your experiences could help someone else, continue reading. Choosing the timeframe Writing a memoir is not a biography. It’s a story that should read like fiction. Give readers excitement, drama, plot twists, lessons, and of course, peace. Something they can read while lying on a hammock. And when they do, take them down memory lane as if they’re journeying through a time machine because in some ways, they are. This is why the time period you choose is important, because you obviously can’t write about every single detail of your life, as you most likely don’t remember them all. And so, the question is, which season of your life is the most significant? Your teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, or sixties? If there is a certain theme you’re writing about, then you need to capture the moment when this theme began budding, not before. Let’s say you’re writing about how you transformed from wife to singlehood after divorce. That means you’ll have to give us the backstory about your marriage, but you don’t necessarily have to write about your childhood, that’s too much information. But if you do, then bring up one powerful childhood memory that relates to how you grew up to become who you are. That’s all. Don’t stay there too long. Focus on your main message, which should capture a certain decade. For example, if you’re explaining your marriage, then write about how your loose-fitting engagement ring kept falling off your finger, or how your stomach tightened when walking down the aisle with your father, or the first time one of you slammed the door after your first fight. How old were you? What songs were popular? How did you dress? Did you ditch the heels for sneakers, and did you wear your hair up or down? What was fashionable around that time? You have to take us back to those years so that we can remember them too, and maybe even see ourselves in you. Regardless of what your theme is, you need to focus on a specific timeframe. I recommend writing about something within a five to ten-year period. Writing with heart What sets a great memoir apart from other stories is the vulnerability that reads through the pages. It’s enough to say you cried, but show us how the night turned into day as the sun crept through your windows at 5:00 a.m., and yet you weren’t done falling apart. Open your soul to us so that we’re able to see the human in you, the person who traveled through highs and lows in search of the truth as you killed off your old identity. We want to relate, even if we’re too afraid to see certain parts within ourselves, let us see it in you as an example of courage. Readers can tell when the story feels cookie-cutter or like it’s been told before in a similar voice. We want something fresh and authentic, so don’t be afraid to be yourself. I can say that now, but when I wrote my memoir, More Than One Soulmate, my hands trembled as I typed, worried about what people would think after reading it. I didn’t just fear critics, I feared getting canceled if I wrote anything that could’ve come across as offensive. We never know how anyone will interpret something. What heals one person might trigger another. And yet, if we’re not to use A.I. because we want real Authors, then this is the chance we have to take, to be raw and honest about our experiences, our perspectives, and our stories. I think what people respect most is when writers are brave enough to reveal their shadows. They’re not trying to be perfect, they’re just telling their story. Maybe some will pick up a few nuggets of wisdom when reading the book, maybe others won’t. But you’re not here to heal everyone. You’re here to heal yourself. Let the practice of writing be enough for you, and let everyone else evolve in their own way. The best you can do is be honest in your work and let the universe do what it’s going to do. Sharing your journey Before your memoir is complete, I recommend blogging and freelance writing for other magazines for the following reasons, to get your name out there, to build your audience, and to strengthen your writing craft. Imagine publishing a book, but hardly anyone has heard of you. At least when you freelance, your name will start to become familiar. You can write about topics that relate to your upcoming memoir so that you stay on brand, and if you need help with this, consider taking my "Words to Wisdom" bootcamp course, where I’ll show you the ropes of writing for Substack and Medium. It’s a great way to share your personal essays, opinion pieces, and even leak one or two chapters from your upcoming book so that people have something to look forward to by the time you publish. You might even gain presales. The most important part I’m a fan of self-publishing because you have complete creative control. I’m not discouraging anyone from pitching their memoir to major publishing houses. Who wouldn’t want their book signed by Penguin Random House or HarperCollins? We’d probably all love that. But if by some chance you don’t get signed, you can still become a successful indie Author, which means you can feel proud about what you write without modifying your work. Personally, I love it when Artists remain true to their vision. One of the complaints from all kinds of Artists in the past was that they felt pressured to compromise their work in order to keep their publishing deal because there was a team of Editors suggesting what parts to keep or discard. While I admire the professional input of experts in their field, I also support the Artists' ultimate vision. As an Author, it’s important to write from your heart, or at least write from your seventh crown chakra, your highest imagination. Despite a memoir being true, your imagination will still paint your story because of the style in which you write it. It’s your creative flow that will drive your story forward, taking your reader to a place that only you can describe in your own words. And that is what makes your story special, because it’s written by "you." So, when you’re working on your memoir, keep this one thing front and center, it’s your story, not someone else’s. That means you get to write it in your voice, not someone else’s. And that should be healing enough. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jasmine Clemente Jasmine Clemente, Bestselling Conscious Author & Yoga Teacher Jasmine Clemente is a Spiritual Guide for women on the cusp of profound transformation. As someone who began her career as a Recording Dance Artist before becoming an RYT 500 yoga teacher, Jasmine bravely writes about her experiences of loss, change, and self-reflection, while encouraging women to embrace their unique journey as well. She offers writing courses in the categories of memoir, self-help, and therapeutic journaling.

Leadership isn't about being in charge. It's about making sure the people depending on you have what they need to succeed." That's how Nick Miccarelli – military veteran, former state representative, and now CEO of DELGO Community Transit – sums up two decades of public service. His career proves the point: real leadership is less about the title, and more about what gets built behind the scenes. How a military veteran, public official, and CEO built a career around solving real-world problems Big ideas often sound impressive on paper. Bringing them to life is the hard part. For Nick Miccarelli, the most important ideas have never been about headlines or attention. They have been about creating systems that work, helping communities function better, and finding practical solutions to real problems. Over the last two decades, Miccarelli has built a career that spans military service, state government, local leadership, and executive management. Today, as CEO of DELGO Community Transit, he leads an organization focused on improving transportation access and community services across Pennsylvania. His journey shows how leadership often comes down to one simple principle: get involved, stay committed, and follow through. “People spend a lot of time talking about change,” Miccarelli says. “The harder part is actually building something that creates lasting results.” How Nick Miccarelli started his leadership journey Miccarelli grew up in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, where he learned early the value of community involvement. While attending Ridley High School and later the University of Pennsylvania, he developed an interest in public service and leadership. But one decision would shape much of his future. In October 1999, he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. That commitment eventually led to deployments in Kosovo and Iraq. In 2009, he served as a door gunner aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter during a deployment with the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade. The experiences taught lessons that would stay with him long after returning home. “When you're serving in difficult environments, you learn very quickly that success depends on teamwork and preparation,” he says. “You have to trust the people around you and focus on the mission.” Those lessons would later influence every leadership role he took on. From public service to public leadership While continuing his military career, Miccarelli became involved in politics and government. He worked as chief of staff to Representative Ron Raymond, gaining firsthand experience in legislative operations and constituent services. That role gave him a close look at how decisions affect communities at the local level. In 2008, he was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 162nd Legislative District. His focus was straightforward: support economic growth, improve opportunities for residents, and make government more responsive. One of the most notable moments of his political career came in 2012 when he was nominated by both Republican and Democratic parties and ran unopposed. He received the highest total vote count in the district's history. For Nick Miccarelli, the achievement reflected something larger than politics. “People want leaders who solve problems,” he says. “Most challenges aren't partisan. They're practical.” That mindset would become a recurring theme throughout his career. Building Community Solutions Beyond Government One of Miccarelli's most significant contributions happened outside elected office. Following Hurricane Katrina, he founded the Hurricane Katrina Sister Town Project, a grassroots initiative created to support communities affected by the disaster. The project demonstrated something he had learned through military service and public leadership: large challenges often require local action. “You don't always have to wait for someone else to step in,” he says. “Communities are strongest when people take responsibility for helping each other.” The experience reinforced his belief that meaningful change often starts with ordinary people taking initiative. That lesson would prove valuable in the next phase of his career. Leading DELGO Community Transit Today, Miccarelli serves as CEO of DELGO Community Transit, where he oversees organizational strategy, operations, partnerships, and long-term development. The role combines many of the skills he developed over the years. Military service taught him discipline. Government taught him accountability. Community work taught him collaboration. At DELGO, those experiences come together through a focus on building reliable systems and improving services for the communities the organization serves. “A good organization isn't built around one person,” Miccarelli says. “It's built around processes, people, and shared goals.” Rather than focusing on short-term wins, he spends much of his time looking at long-term improvements that can strengthen operations and expand community impact. His approach reflects a leadership style that values consistency over attention. “Real progress usually happens behind the scenes,” he says. “It's often the result of small improvements made every day.” What professionals can learn from Nick Miccarelli's career Looking back, Miccarelli's career has followed an uncommon path. He has served in combat zones, state government chambers, borough council meetings, nonprofit organizations, and executive offices. Yet the common thread remains the same. Service. Whether supporting fellow soldiers, representing constituents, helping disaster victims, or leading a transportation organization, his focus has consistently centered on solving problems and helping people. He remains active with organizations, including the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum, Friends of the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, and his local church. For Miccarelli, leadership is not about titles or recognition. It's about responsibility. “Leadership isn't about being in charge,” he says. “It's about making sure the people depending on you have what they need to succeed.” That philosophy has guided him through military deployments, public office, and executive leadership. And it continues to shape his work today.

Some careers are built by following one clear path. Others are built by connecting many interests over time. Dr. Emil Kohan’s career belongs in the second group. Raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Kohan grew up with an interest in science, art, design, and entrepreneurship. Those interests may seem separate at first. But for him, they became part of the same larger idea. “I never saw science and creativity as separate things,” Dr. Kohan says. “I always thought the most interesting solutions happen when you bring different ideas together.” That belief helped shape his path into plastic surgery. Today, Dr. Kohan is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. He specializes in body contouring, mommy makeover procedures, liposuction, breast surgery, Brazilian Butt Lift procedures, and complex revision cases. His story is not about chasing attention. It is about building skills, applying ideas, and turning long-term focus into meaningful work. Who is Dr. Emil Kohan? Dr. Kohan’s early years in Los Angeles gave him a strong appreciation for aesthetics and detail. He was drawn to how things looked, how they worked, and how small choices could change the final result. That way of thinking later became central to his work. “I always appreciated precision and creativity,” he says. “Plastic surgery gave me a way to combine those two passions into meaningful work.” Before entering medicine, Dr. Kohan studied at UCLA, where he graduated summa cum laude with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Neuroscience and Psychobiology. He was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, a respected academic honor. He then earned his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he received a four-year Dean’s Scholarship. How did Dr. Emil Kohan build his career? Dr. Kohan’s career developed through years of focused training. After medical school, he completed his Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency at the University of California, Irvine. There, he gained experience in both aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. His training helped him understand that plastic surgery is not only technical. It also requires judgment, planning, and an eye for balance. “I realized that surgery isn’t only about solving a medical problem,” Dr. Kohan says. “It’s also about understanding proportion, balance, and what looks natural.” That idea became one of the biggest themes of his career. In a field often influenced by trends, Dr. Kohan focused on individualized results. He built his approach around each patient’s goals, anatomy, and long-term outcome. “Patients don’t want to look like someone else,” he says. “They want to look like the best version of themselves.” What big ideas shaped Dr. Kohan’s work? One of Dr. Kohan’s key ideas is that aesthetic medicine works best when science and artistry support each other. The science helps guide safety, structure, and technique. The artistry helps guide proportion, balance, and natural-looking results. This thinking has shaped his work in body contouring, breast surgery, liposuction, BBL procedures, mommy makeovers, and revision surgery. Revision cases can be especially complex. They often require careful planning and a clear understanding of both the patient’s goals and what was done before. For Dr. Kohan, these cases show why details matter. “The details matter,” he says. “Small decisions can have a major impact on the final result.” That lesson applies beyond medicine. In any career, small decisions made consistently can shape long-term success. Why education and innovation matter in aesthetic medicine Dr. Kohan has also brought ideas to life through research and education. He has authored peer-reviewed publications and contributed to textbook chapters in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has also lectured on advanced surgical techniques. In 2024, he presented on Brazilian Butt Lift surgical technique at the California Society of Plastic Surgeons meeting. For Dr. Kohan, this work reflects a responsibility to keep learning. “Medicine never stands still,” he says. “The responsibility of a surgeon is to continue learning and improving.” That mindset has helped him stay engaged in the broader growth of aesthetic medicine. It also reflects a business lesson that applies across industries: leaders do not stop learning once they reach a certain level. They keep refining their work. What can professionals learn from Dr. Emil Kohan? Dr. Kohan’s story offers a useful lesson for anyone building a career. He did not leave his early interests behind. He found ways to use them. Sports taught discipline. Art and design strengthened his eye for detail. Entrepreneurship encouraged problem-solving. Science gave him the technical foundation to build a medical career. “Sports teach discipline,” he says. “Art teaches observation. Entrepreneurship teaches problem-solving. Every experience gives you tools you can use somewhere else.” That mindset helped him connect different parts of his life into one focused career path. It also shows how big ideas often become real. They do not always arrive as sudden breakthroughs. Many are built slowly, through study, practice, and repeated improvement. Building a career through long-term thinking From Los Angeles to UCLA, from medical school to residency, and from training to practice in Beverly Hills, Dr. Kohan’s career has followed a clear pattern. He studies carefully. He refines his skills. He looks for ways to combine technical knowledge with creative thinking. “The goal is always to get better,” he says. “That’s how meaningful progress happens.” For Dr. Emil Kohan, bringing big ideas to life has meant turning curiosity into education, education into expertise, and expertise into a thoughtful approach to aesthetic medicine. His career shows that success is often built through steady work, clear values, and the ability to connect ideas that others may see as separate.

Some business ideas begin with years of planning. Others begin with a single conversation that changes the way someone sees an opportunity. For Dan Champ, building Champ Tours was not about chasing the next trend. It was about recognizing that years of experience, careful listening, and a willingness to adapt could become the foundation of something new. Today, as the founder of Champ Tours, he is creating travel experiences that encourage learning, connection, and curiosity for people of all ages. Looking back, Champ believes the most important lessons in business rarely come from a textbook. They come from paying attention, staying open to new ideas, and remembering that success is ultimately about serving people well. "I've always believed that the goal is to know and see people where they are and to serve them the best you can," Champ says. "When you keep that as your focus, it helps guide every decision." How Dan Champ built a career around meaningful travel When people think about travel, they often picture vacations or sightseeing. Champ sees something different. Over the years, he has watched travel become a catalyst for confidence, curiosity, and personal growth. That perspective developed through decades of organizing group experiences and seeing firsthand how stepping into a new environment changes the way people think. "I've seen people arrive nervous and leave with a completely different outlook," he says. "Travel has a way of expanding your perspective." That observation eventually became the foundation for Champ Tours. Rather than simply moving people from one destination to another, Champ wanted to create experiences that combined history, culture, and shared learning. He believes the destinations matter, but the conversations people have along the way often matter even more. Why listening led to a new business opportunity Dan Champ recently experienced a reminder that some of the best business ideas arrive when you least expect them. He had developed a Broadway Experience itinerary for high school theater groups, complete with Broadway performances, professional workshops, and visits to iconic New York City landmarks. Then his father offered a simple observation. "My dad said, 'I think senior citizens would love that kind of trip too,'" Champ recalls. At first, the suggestion caught him by surprise. The itinerary had always been designed with students in mind. But instead of dismissing the idea, he decided to explore it. Working with the Sun City Roseville Travel Club, Champ welcomed 23 senior travelers on the inaugural Broadway Experience, including three participants aged 86. Watching the group experience Broadway, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the 9/11 Memorial reinforced something he had suspected all along. "Curiosity doesn't disappear with age," Champ says. "People never outgrow the desire to learn or experience something new." The success of that trip marked an important milestone for Champ Tours and demonstrated that meaningful travel is not limited to one generation. The leadership lesson that changed everything Like many entrepreneurs, Champ's career has included moments that did not unfold the way he expected. Earlier in his professional journey, he envisioned taking a different path. When those plans changed, he found himself asking an important question: Was he focusing on the opportunity he had lost, or the one that might be waiting for him? Looking back, he sees that period differently than he did at the time. "Sometimes what feels like disappointment ends up pointing you toward something that's a better fit," he says. Rather than dwelling on the direction that didn't materialize, Champ invested his energy into building something of his own. That decision eventually became Champ Tours. Why relationships matter more than perfect plans Ask Champ what has contributed most to his success, and he doesn't immediately talk about itineraries or destinations. He talks about people. One of the people he credits most is Joanna Cameron, who introduced him to many aspects of the student travel industry early in his career. "I learned everything I know about student travel from Joanna," he says. That experience reinforced his belief that mentorship accelerates growth. It also shaped the way he now approaches leadership. Instead of believing he always has the answers, Champ believes that good leaders continue to learn from the people around them. Whether those lessons come from a mentor, a traveler, or even a conversation with his father, he has learned that listening is often more valuable than speaking. Building a business around purpose Champ's approach to business is closely connected to his personal values. His priorities are simple. "God, wife, children, self," he says. Those priorities influence the way he leads, makes decisions, and defines success. They have also helped him navigate difficult seasons, including overcoming addiction earlier in his life, an experience he openly credits with strengthening his faith and giving him a greater appreciation for second chances. Today, that perspective shapes the culture he hopes to create through Champ Tours. Rather than measuring success solely by destinations visited or trips completed, Champ hopes every traveler returns home with a broader perspective than when they left. He believes meaningful experiences create lasting change. That philosophy has guided every step of his entrepreneurial journey so far. As Champ Tours continues to grow, he remains focused on the same principle that inspired him to launch the company in the first place. "Loving God and loving people and raising my children to do the same," he says. For Dan Champ, building a successful business has never been just about travel. It has been about creating opportunities for people to grow, connect, and discover something new about both the world and themselves.

Written by Linn Kristin Angell, Intuitive Educator, Author, Speaker & New Earth Guide Linn Angell is an intuitive educator, writer, author, and a New Earth guide, supporting educators and conscious creators through aligned creation for our New Earth. As artificial intelligence transforms education and translation technologies become increasingly sophisticated, an important question emerges: What uniquely human capacities should language learning cultivate? Can language learning be more than acquiring linguistic knowledge? Language learning is often associated with grammar exercises, vocabulary lists, textbooks, and examinations. While these tools have an important place, they do not always explain why some students thrive while others struggle, despite receiving the same instruction. At 144 Love in Education, we believe language learning is about more than acquiring linguistic knowledge. It is also about developing confidence, creativity, communication, intuition, emotional awareness, and meaningful human connections. Conscious Language Teaching offers a human-centered approach to language learning that recognizes that language is not simply something we study. It is something we live, experience, and embody. What is Conscious Language Teaching? Conscious Language Teaching is a human-centered approach to language learning that recognizes students as whole human beings rather than simply language learners. It integrates language acquisition with emotional awareness, creativity, confidence, presence, and meaningful communication. Rather than focusing exclusively on what students know, Conscious Language Teaching also considers how students feel while learning. Language learning is not only a cognitive process. It is also an emotional one. What is Intuitive Language Learning? Intuitive Language Learning recognizes that language develops most naturally when learners feel safe enough to participate, experiment, make mistakes, and communicate authentically. Rather than relying solely on memorization and repetition, intuitive learning encourages students to trust their voice, engage with meaningful conversations, and develop confidence through real-world communication. The goal is not perfect language, but meaningful communication. Why do many language learners struggle to speak? One of the most common experiences among language learners is knowing far more than they are willing to say. Many students understand grammar, and they know vocabulary. They can complete written exercises successfully. Yet when asked to speak, they hesitate. Often, this is not a language problem. It is a confidence problem. Fear of making mistakes, embarrassment, perfectionism, and self-judgment can create barriers that prevent students from using the language they already know. Why emotional safety matters in language learning? Educational neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino Yang argues that emotion and cognition are inseparable in meaningful learning. Language learning is no exception. Students are more likely to participate, communicate, and take risks when they feel psychologically safe. When anxiety dominates the learning experience, communication becomes more difficult because learners become preoccupied with avoiding mistakes rather than expressing themselves. Creating supportive learning environments may therefore be one of the most important factors in successful language acquisition. Why creativity plays a central role in language development? Language is inherently creative. Every conversation requires individuals to generate meaning in real time. Students do not become fluent simply by memorizing vocabulary lists. They become fluent through creating language. Storytelling, discussion, role play, collaborative activities, creative writing, and meaningful conversations all encourage learners to actively use language rather than passively study it. Research on mental imagery by Stephen Kosslyn and colleagues also suggests that imagination plays an important role in creativity, problem solving, and learning. Language learning flourishes when learners are invited to imagine, create, and express. Can intuitive teaching improve language learning? Most experienced educators have encountered moments when a carefully planned lesson needed to be adapted in response to the learners in front of them. Students may arrive with different levels of energy, motivation, confidence, curiosity, or emotional readiness than anticipated. In these moments, effective teaching often involves more than simply delivering content. It requires observation, responsiveness, and professional judgment. Intuitive teaching does not mean abandoning curriculum, structure, or learning objectives. Rather, it involves developing the capacity to respond thoughtfully to the needs of learners while still supporting meaningful educational outcomes. Research on expert teaching suggests that experienced educators often make rapid instructional decisions based on accumulated knowledge, classroom experience, observation, and reflection. What many teachers describe as intuition may therefore reflect a sophisticated form of professional expertise developed over time. Within language learning, this responsiveness can be particularly important. Some learners may need more opportunities for conversation, while others benefit from movement, storytelling, creative activities, or additional emotional support before they feel ready to participate. By balancing preparation with presence, educators can create learning environments that are both structured and responsive to human needs. What are the benefits of Conscious Language Teaching? Conscious Language Teaching recognizes that language learning is both a cognitive and a human process. While students must develop vocabulary, grammar, and communication skills, they also benefit from learning environments that support confidence, motivation, emotional well-being, and authentic participation. Research in educational neuroscience has highlighted the important relationship between emotion and learning. Mary Helen Immordino Yang argues that emotion and cognition are inseparable in meaningful learning experiences, suggesting that students learn most effectively when intellectual and emotional processes work together. When learners feel psychologically safe, they are often more willing to participate, ask questions, experiment with language, and take the risks necessary for growth. As a result, Conscious Language Teaching may support greater confidence, increased participation, improved communication skills, deeper motivation, and stronger engagement with the learning process. Rather than viewing mistakes as failures, this approach encourages students to see mistakes as a natural and valuable part of language development. In doing so, language becomes more than a subject to master. It becomes a tool for connection, self-expression, creativity, cultural understanding, and participation in society. What might the future of language learning look like? As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of translating information and generating language, the uniquely human dimensions of communication may become even more important. While technology can support language learning in remarkable ways, it cannot fully replace the human capacities that give language meaning. Language is not simply the exchange of information. It is also the sharing of experiences, emotions, values, stories, relationships, and culture. Through language, people build trust, develop understanding, form communities, and create a sense of belonging. For this reason, the future of language learning may extend beyond the goal of producing fluent speakers. It may increasingly involve helping learners become confident communicators, creative thinkers, compassionate listeners, culturally aware citizens, and active participants in an interconnected world. Explore Conscious Language Teaching At 144 Love in Education, Conscious Language Teaching forms part of a wider vision of human-centered learning. Through language education, educational consultancy, homeschooling initiatives, pedagogic meditations, and Love in Education: Conscious Conversations, we continue exploring how education can cultivate the uniquely human capacities that technology cannot replace. In a rapidly changing world, language remains one of our most powerful tools for connection, understanding, creativity, and contribution. Language is not only something we learn. It is something we live. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Linn Kristin Angell Linn Kristin Angell, Intuitive Educator, Author, Speaker & New Earth Guide Linn Angell is an intuitive educator, writer, and author of The Light Warrior Diary and Beelove, books exploring conscious living, love-based learning, and human transformation. She is the founder of 144 Education NGO and Sunya Org., supporting educators and conscious creators through aligned creation for our New Earth. References: Immordino Yang, M. H. (2016). Emotions, Learning, and the Brain. Berliner, D. C. (2001). Learning about and learning from expert teachers. Eraut, M. (2000). Nonformal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition.

Written by James Westphal, Actor & Public Speaking/Communication Coach James Westphal is an actor, coach, and creative development specialist with a degree and training from a leading drama school, professional stage and screen experience, and a Master’s in Psychology. His unique combination of acting craft, public speaking, communication techniques, and psychology helps people connect, lead, and speak with impact. In today's society, it seems like everyone wants to be famous. It has never been easier to be seen and adored by thousands of people, as long as you have the patience, determination, and willpower to create content. After all, content is king. Apparently. But now, more than ever, it is important to make some distinctions. First, performing and making content online doesn't make you an actor. I'm not saying that making content doesn't take skill or talent. I'm not even suggesting it's easy to do. But what I am suggesting is that making videos for content, in whatever form, is not synonymous with acting. The second distinction is this, being an actor does not mean fame, fortune, or guaranteed adoration. This article delves a little deeper into what being an actor does mean, what it takes, and how you can start to become one. The entertainment industry First things first, the entertainment industry is one of the biggest in the world. In the UK, the West End theatre industry alone has reportedly generated in the region of £1 billion in recent years, with the film and television industry generating just under £1 billion in 2025. Recent figures suggest there are somewhere in the region of 52,000 actors working in the UK. The interesting thing is that we only really hear about the 1%. Those who, through a combination of talent, hopefully hard work, useful contacts, networking, and most probably a huge helping of luck, have managed to make their way into the upper echelons of the entertainment industry. But here's the thing, hardly anyone has ever heard of the vast majority of that 52,000 figure. It is only the top few percent that the everyday person could name. So, here's the first thing to know if you want to be an actor, you are an actor regardless of your 'success'. I don't say that in a preachy, virtue signalling way. Of course, we want to be recognised for our work. But that is not, and cannot be, the end goal, because unlike most other careers, it is not linear. Success is not linear There are stories of actors being cast as leads and then not working for years. There are Oscar winners whose careers fell away. There are actors who were graphic designers well into their thirties, actors who chose not to go to Hollywood and stuck with what they wanted to do, and, sadly, actors who never gave up but still never quite reached where they wanted to be. That is hard. But this is the reality of this career. Everyone says it's tough, but no one really goes into the reasons why. What pervades is an elusive idea that it is hard unless you know what to do, or unless you have some secret ingredient. Again, this is a misconception because it’s challenging regardless. It is also really important to bear in mind that there is a lot of joy to be found in this career. Friendships and working relationships often last for life, because you get to know people in ways that are deeper and more vulnerable than in almost any other industry. You get to dip in and out of the most interesting, intriguing, and inspiring stories. You get to dedicate your time and energy to something that, hopefully, brings you joy. You get to pursue something that is a passion, and very few people get to do that in life. So, yes, it is difficult, but it is also rewarding. Before we go any further, you have to ask yourself a few honest questions: What does success look like for you? Are you prepared to keep trying even if you don't reach that point? Can you still find joy in the work regardless of the end goal? If you've answered these questions and you know you want to try and pursue this rollercoaster of a career, then read on. I'm going to share some of the ways you can start to break into the acting industry. But remember, whether you make it to 'Hollywood' or not is anyone's guess. Anyone who tells you there is a formula or one way to do this and get the work you want is lying. Anyone worth their salt will tell you that they are lying too. Knowing yourself There are two main schools of thought when it comes to acting. Number one is that there is no character, it is just you, the actor, with the lines and the given circumstances of the script. Number two is that there is character, there is you, the actor, and then there is the character, which may be similar or different to who you are as a person, and this is informed and generated by the script. Whichever you lean towards, one thing stays true. You have to know who you are. By that, I mean you have to be curious, open, and in touch with who you really are. Your strengths, your weaknesses, likes, dislikes, secrets, desires, dreams, phobias, and so on. Because whether you believe in the idea of a 'character' as something separate from the actor or not, you still have to be able to relate to different situations, to empathise, and to bring to life the words on the page. You can only empathise if you are in touch with your own emotions. You can only relate if you have had conscious experience, and have lived and felt. You can only bring words on a page to life if you know which parts of yourself are similar to them and which are different, so that you know where the gap is and how to close it. If you don't know yourself, how can you be comfortable enough to be vulnerable in front of other people, be it your fellow actors, a crew, or an audience? The craft Another longstanding debate is, to train or not to train? Far be it from me to tell actors, aspiring or professional, what's right and wrong. My own view is that to be a good and consistent actor, you must develop some kind of craft. Instincts and spontaneity are paramount. But what happens when your instinct betrays you or your spontaneity deserts you in a performance or a take? Then what do you do? This is when you have to fall back on your craft. You can only build craft and skill by training, the same as in any other profession in which there is skill involved. You would never expect to walk onto a stage and perform a triple pirouette without technique. You would never attempt to make a piece of furniture and expect it to be good without technique. So why should one expect to just try acting and be good? The distinction I want to make here is this, training doesn't have to mean drama school. For the record, I think some of the best training in the world can be from a drama school, depending on where and what, of course. But there are many different ways to train for something in which the end result is judged subjectively. You might work with a coach. You might take classes, which is starting to become a more regular occurrence in England, taking a leaf out of the US's book, where continued professional development is treated as a given. You might learn on the job. Whatever it is, in order to be consistently good, you have to know what it is you're doing. This is especially true in terms of a healthy and resonant voice on stage, or the technical demands of the screen, where you are constantly judging the size of your performance depending on the frame. Drama school is absolutely not the only way in, but some form of training, be it a class, coaching, a mentor, or reading and physically practising, is, in my view, essential. One last thing, make sure you are working with and learning from people who know what they are talking about. We can all learn. Whether the learning is correct or not depends on the teaching. Networking You don't have to view networking as cornering someone in a room full of people and telling them all the reasons they should hire you. At its core, networking is building relationships. Real, working relationships. These take time, so you have to be in it for the long run. This is a much smaller industry than it seems at first glance, or when looking at statistics. People move between jobs, companies, and rooms. That goes for actors, casting directors, directors, producers, and anyone else. The person you met on a profit share fringe show might now be casting for an off West End play. You might have met someone in a casting ages ago who then puts your name in the mix for something later on. Patience is rewarded in this industry. But so are kindness and decency. Essentially, with networking, you can meet hundreds of people and fire over your CV to thousands, but if you have behaved in ways that are disrespectful, arrogant, and lazy, especially when starting out, your reputation will precede you. Lastly, try not to view networking as transactional. Try to frame it as taking a genuine interest in people and projects. Be generous with your time. I always find a good question to ask yourself is, "If I weren't me, would I want to work with me?" The work You have to put the work in. That sounds really obvious, but it is the part most people skip, because it is the least glamorous. The work is learning your craft, keeping it sharp, and having a finger on the pulse of the industry. The work looks like continuing to learn and grow, seeking out opportunities rather than waiting for your agent to ring or to be picked off the street for the new Spielberg movie. The work is trying not to let constant rejection deter you. The work is knowing how to approach your scripts and auditions, and then actually doing the work to show yourself off in the best light in your auditions or tapes. Motivation won't always be there, so it's helpful to view acting like an athlete views their training. You can't only train when you feel inspired or 'up for it'. You have to create routine and consistency. If you can build the habits, readiness will follow. Confidence comes from doing, and from trusting the work you have done. But you can't trust the work if you don't do the work. Agents One good thing about drama schools is that you, hopefully, leave with an agent. But that isn't always guaranteed. So, whether you go to drama school or not, and whether you leave signed or not, you will inevitably find yourself searching for representation at some point. It might be as you are starting out. It might be that you get dropped by your agent and then need to find a new one, which is remarkably common. It is quite rare that an actor stays repped by the same agent for their whole career. Do you even need an agent? Technically, no. But it will make your life a hell of a lot easier, and you will have someone fighting your corner who knows what a good deal does and doesn't look like. I've secured jobs myself without an agent, but it really is a lot harder. Anyone who says you don't need an agent is, I think, either lying or a huge star who doesn't really need one. Almost every big 'star' has an agent or manager anyway. When you are starting out, and untrained, it is possibly the hardest time to secure an agent. But it isn’t impossible. There are a few things you are going to need if you want to sign with one: A good headshot. Good doesn't necessarily mean expensive, but it does mean good quality, lighting, exposure, a background, and colours that complement you. Aim for something that shows your personality without being boring, and without being a picture of a 'character'. A good headshot shows you, simply and plainly. A good email. Agents are very busy people and don't have time to read your life story. You want an email and a subject line that are respectful, individual, concise, and to the point. A tailored approach. Know who you are writing to and why. An agent will receive hundreds of emails a week, so if you can show you are interested in them for a genuine reason that isn't just 'you are the biggest agency in the UK', you give yourself a better chance of a reply. Material. If you are just starting out, chances are you won't have a showreel, a compilation of your screen work. That doesn't mean you can't attach some material. A well lit self tape of a scene, filmed in a self tape format, landscape and mid shot, that shows choices, listening, responding, and an arc is perfectly fine. So is a good monologue, although people tend to prefer scenes, as they show your listening and responding well. Signing with an agent can also help get you onto Spotlight, the registry that casting directors use to put their breakdowns out. It used to be that you could only get onto Spotlight with an agent, while most agents would want you on Spotlight before signing you, which was a bit of a circular situation. It is more open now. As a guide, you generally need one of three things to join, professional credits, such as a featured role on an Equity or equivalent contract, or two professional credits, a recognised period of professional training, or a recommendation from a Spotlight registered agent, recognised casting director, or management body. There is also a dedicated graduate route for final year students at recognised drama schools. The exact criteria shift from time to time, so it is worth checking Spotlight's site for the current details. Once you are on Spotlight, you can apply for roles yourself, with or without an agent. Signing with one of the big agencies is helpful, don't get me wrong. But it isn't the be all and end all, and especially when you are starting out, you might get lost among their bigger clients. Ideally, you want to sign with an agent, regardless of their size, because they are good at what they do, you get on with them to some degree, it feels like a good fit, and their clients are doing the kind of work you want to do. At the end of the day, your agent should be your partner and collaborator. But don't rely on them solely. Marketing Know what you get 'for free' and play to it. Early on, people don't know you or your work, so you need to stick in their minds, and the best way to do that is to understand what you do well, how people see you, and lean into it. I wish this were something I had realised sooner. There is plenty of time to show your range and versatility once you have the work and the relationships to back it up. This is exactly where knowing yourself pays off again, your self knowledge should feed everything outward facing, your headshots, your showreel, the roles you chase, and the way you market yourself. A note on 'giving up' Lastly, if you are not happy doing this, or it is actively making you unhappy, there is nothing wrong with walking away. It is not giving up. The measure is not whether you reached some imaginary finish line, but whether the pursuit of it is adding to your life more than it is draining you. Pivoting to something else is its own kind of courage. But if you've read this far, I suspect you aren't at that point, so my closing notes are these, find the fun, work hard, be a good person, be great at what you do, and see where the journey takes you. It is an uncertain industry with a lot of external variables, and you cannot control the uncontrollable. Trends, someone else's success measured against yours, your look, your height, whether a given person happens to like your work, remember, it is all subjective, let those go. Put your energy into the things you can actually affect, and let the rest be. What's next? For some, it is not enough to read advice in an article, it has to be practically explored. I trained as an actor as the Leverhulme scholar at ArtsEd and was selected to represent my drama school at Shakespeare's Globe. Since then, I’ve worked professionally across stage and screen, and also hold an MSc in Psychological Sciences, which sits underneath everything I do. I coach professional actors, including Jay Lycurgo, Peaky Blinders Film and Steve for Netflix, as well as providing public speaking and communication coaching for leaders and people in business. If you would like support with audition preparation, industry or drama school, self tape strategy, classical or contemporary text, screen technique, or simply finding your feet and your confidence in the room, please get in touch. I offer one to one coaching for actors at every stage. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from James Westphal James Westphal, Actor & Public Speaking/Communication Coach James Westphal is an actor, coach, and creative development specialist who works with professional actors on their acting and audition technique and provides public speaking and communication coaching for individuals and groups across business, leadership, and public-facing roles. With his first-class degree and training from a leading drama school, ongoing stage and screen work, a Master’s in Psychology, and extensive teaching experience at top drama schools and conservatoires, James also coaches internationally for leading companies. Founder and CEO of James Westphal Creative Development, providing effective help and guidance for people who speak for a living, his mission is to empower people to connect, lead, and speak with impact.

Written by Abi Hill, Entrepreneur, Mentor & Coach Abi Hill is a UK entrepreneur, mentor & coach, and the founder of Just Starting Out. Widely recognised for championing underserved communities and cost-of-living resilience, she’s on a mission to cut first-year failure rates. “If you want to make waves, pack a swimsuit!” Fear is a funny thing. It can stop us in our tracks, keep us awake at night, and convince us not to do things that we are perfectly capable of doing. But I've often wondered whether we're actually afraid of the things we say we're afraid of. When someone says they're scared of spiders, is it really the spider? When someone says they're scared of heights, is it really the height? When a new entrepreneur says they're scared of starting a business, is it really the business that's frightening them? The more I think about it, the more convinced I become that fear often wears a disguise. The cottage in Devon In my late twenties, I moved into a beautiful cottage in the Devon countryside. It was peaceful, quiet, and exactly the sort of place people dream about living in. There was just one problem. The spiders. Not the tiny little spiders that occasionally appear in the corner of your bathroom. These things were enormous. The sort of spiders that make you stop in your tracks and question whether you're actually living in England or have somehow been transported to Australia. Within the first couple of weeks, I encountered two of them. A friend of mine listened patiently as I described my predicament and then offered a simple solution: "Get a cat." It sounded sensible enough. So I got a cat. Did it work? Not at all. The cat would happily sit and watch the spiders with complete fascination. He never chased them. Never caught them. Never removed them from the house. He was completely useless. Yet, strangely, I felt better. The spiders hadn't changed. The cottage hadn't changed. The risk hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed was the feeling that I wasn't facing it alone, which got me thinking. Was I really afraid of the spiders? Or was I afraid of something else? So what is the fear? Many people say they're afraid of spiders. But when you ask a few more questions, the answers become more interesting. Fear of spiders: Is it the way they move? The unpredictability? The possibility that they might jump? The feeling that they're somewhere they shouldn't be? The way they have far too many legs? Or perhaps it's the fact that they make us feel out of control. Fear of heights: Most people aren't frightened by standing on a tall building. They're frightened of falling. Fear of flying: Most people aren't frightened by sitting in a comfortable seat at 35,000 feet. They're frightened by the thought of the plane crashing. In other words, the thing we think we're afraid of is often just the surface-level version of a deeper fear hiding underneath. The visible fear gets all the attention, whilst the real fear quietly does the damage. What do the experts say? Experts define a phobia as an overwhelming and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, place, or activity that poses little or no actual danger. Unlike ordinary fears, phobias can trigger intense anxiety and often lead people to avoid the thing they fear altogether. In fact, the NHS describes phobias as one of the most common forms of anxiety disorder, with an estimated 10 million people in the UK experiencing a phobia at some point in their lives. Some of the most common phobias include fear of insects, needles, blood, enclosed spaces, and public speaking. However, phobias can be surprisingly specific. While some people fear spiders or snakes, others experience intense anxiety around balloons, buttons, mirrors, vomiting, clowns, or even bananas. As unusual as these fears may sound to those who don't share them, psychologists emphasise that the emotional response is very real. What does this have to do with business? Over the years, I've spoken to countless people who want to start a business. Many tell me they're scared. Scared to launch. Scared to post on social media. Scared to attend networking events. Scared to meet their first customer. Scared to raise their prices. Scared to put themselves out there. But if we dig a little deeper, those things are rarely the real fear. Someone who is afraid to post on LinkedIn may not be afraid of social media at all. They may be afraid that nobody will engage with their post. Or worse, that people will. Someone who is afraid to launch their business may not be afraid of launching. They may be afraid of failing publicly. Someone who is afraid of meeting their first customer may not be afraid of the customer. They may be afraid of disappointing them. When we strip away the surface-level fear, we often uncover something far more human. Rejection. Embarrassment. Judgement. Disappointment. Failure. Not feeling good enough. The fear behind the fear. What new business owners told us Recently, we explored this topic with 150 aspiring and early-stage business owners, and the results were fascinating. The biggest fear The biggest fear people reported wasn't creating a website or understanding tax. It wasn't registering a business or growing their socials. The number one concern was that their business wouldn't make money. The second biggest fear The second biggest concern was competition. At first glance, those answers seem straightforward. But when we look closer, they reveal something deeper. Why are people worried that their business won't make money? Because they fear failure. Because they fear losing time, energy, or savings. Because they fear having to admit that something didn't work. Why are people worried about competition? Often because they worry that someone else is better than them. More experienced. More qualified. More talented. More established. Once again, the fear sitting on the surface isn't always the real fear underneath. How do we manage fear? There's a popular phrase that says, "Do one thing every day that scares you." Well, I've never been entirely convinced. Life can be challenging enough without deliberately seeking out new reasons to feel terrified. Instead, I'd suggest something different. Do one thing that gives you confidence or creates momentum. What that looks like is anyone’s guess, but it could be speaking to a potential customer, updating your website, or celebrating a small win. Confidence doesn’t always come through overcoming fear. They’re more frightened of you than you are of them This is absolute nonsense. But looking back, the spiders in that Devon cottage taught me that often in life, the real challenge lies beneath the surface. The challenge is identifying what we're actually afraid of and deciding whether that fear deserves to make the decision for us. Once we understand the fear behind the fear, it often becomes much easier to move forward. As for me, I’m still terrified of spiders, and I now have three cats. Are they any good at catching spiders? No. But I don’t seem to get many these days. Think about that! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Abi Hill Abi Hill, Entrepreneur, Mentor & Coach Drawing from a Senior Management background and 20+ years working alongside minority and underserved communities, Abi is best known for advocating within the start-up community, her mission being to reduce the 20% of small businesses that don’t make it through year one by giving them the tools, training, and trust they deserve. Because why should starting out mean forking out?

Written by Ole Hill, Success Hypnotist Ole is Australia’s best hypnotist, working with business owners, entrepreneurs, and athletes to level up their performance. Hypnosis is one of the most misunderstood tools in personal development. People worry about being stuck in trance, having memories implanted, losing control of their mind, or somehow being permanently altered against their will. The honest answer about the dangers of hypnosis is far less dramatic than Hollywood would have you believe, but there are some real considerations worth knowing before you sit down for a session. What is hypnosis, and why do people fear it? Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention, softened critical filtering, and heightened responsiveness to suggestion. It's the same state you enter when you're absorbed in a film, lost in a daydream, or driving a familiar route and arriving without remembering the last ten minutes. In a clinical session, you're moving from the conscious Beta state into the subconscious Theta state, the layer where your automatic patterns and deepest beliefs are stored. The fear around hypnosis comes almost entirely from how it's been portrayed in movies, stage shows, and cartoons. Swinging pocket watches, evil hypnotists turning people into chickens, mind control plots, characters being "stuck" in trance forever, none of this is real. But the imagery is so culturally embedded that people often arrive at a hypnosis session quietly braced for something dangerous. Once you understand what hypnosis actually is and what it actually does, most of those fears dissolve on their own. The real risks are very different from the ones people imagine. Can you get stuck in hypnosis? No. There has never been a documented case of someone being permanently stuck in trance. Hypnosis is a natural brain state, not a chemical alteration or a trap door your mind falls through. The brain doesn't have a mechanism to lock itself in that state any more than it has a mechanism to lock itself in a daydream. If a hypnotist walked out of the room mid-session and never came back, the worst that would happen is the client would either drift into a light sleep and wake up naturally, or simply notice the absence and open their eyes. The brain returns to its baseline state on its own. Always. What can occasionally happen is that someone enjoys the state so much they linger in it longer than expected, or comes out gradually rather than instantly. This is not being stuck. This is being relaxed. Can hypnosis make you do something against your will? No. This is the most common fear and the one with the clearest answer. Hypnosis cannot override your values or your ethics. The critical filter softens during hypnosis but doesn't switch off. Suggestions that align with what you actually want pass through easily, while suggestions that conflict with who you are get filtered out, ignored, or actively rejected. This is why the same hypnotist who can guide someone into deep change cannot make them do anything genuinely against their character. Decades of research have tested this exact question, and the consistent finding is that hypnotized people refuse, wake up, or simply ignore suggestions they wouldn't have entertained in a normal state. The fact that hypnosis can't override your will is precisely what makes it safe. You're not being manipulated into change; you're being helped to access change you already want. The real risks of hypnosis So if the cartoon dangers aren't real, what actually is? There are a handful of genuine considerations, and they're worth knowing. Working with an untrained or unethical practitioner. This is the most significant risk, and it's not unique to hypnosis, the same applies to therapists, coaches, and any practitioner working with the mind. A skilled hypnotist working ethically will produce excellent outcomes. A poorly trained one might miss important context, deliver suggestions clumsily, or fail to handle an emotional response that surfaces during a session. The fix is straightforward: work with someone properly skilled and experienced. Emotional material surfacing unexpectedly. Hypnosis works at the level where your unconscious patterns live, which means it can occasionally bring up emotions, memories, or insights that have been buried for years. For everyone, this is a positive part of the work, but it can feel intense in the moment. A good practitioner is trained to hold space for whatever surfaces and integrate it usefully. A bad one might leave a client unsettled afterward. You never have to relive negative memories. We’re here to release them, not re-experience them, but if you’re someone who likes to hide from problems rather than face and overcome them, even this brief emotional release isn’t for you. What hypnosis is not dangerous for Hypnosis is not dangerous for the vast majority of people seeking change in their habits, mindset, emotional patterns, confidence, performance, or self-image. It's not dangerous for stress, anxiety, sleep issues, or motivation. It's not dangerous for working through limiting beliefs or self-sabotage patterns. It's not dangerous to enter the state itself. Used appropriately, hypnosis is one of the safer modalities available for personal change, far safer than the long-term costs of leaving subconscious patterns unaddressed, which quietly erode careers, relationships, and self-worth year after year. How to keep yourself safe in hypnosis A short checklist for anyone considering working with a hypnotist: Choose a practitioner with proper training, credentials, and ideally a mentor or lineage they've trained under. Ask about their experience with your specific issue. Trust your gut during the consultation, if something feels off, work with someone else. Make sure the practitioner does an intake conversation rather than launching straight into hypnosis on first contact. Look for someone who's transparent about what hypnosis can and can't do. If you're working through something significant, ensure you have parallel support, a coach or trusted friend, depending on what you're addressing. The honest summary The dangers of hypnosis are almost entirely the opposite of what people imagine. You won't get stuck. You won't lose control. You won't be made to do something against your will. The real risks are the practical ones: working with the wrong practitioner, having emotional material surface without skilled support, mistaking vivid impressions for accurate memories, or using hypnosis instead of medical care when both are needed. Handled properly, hypnosis is remarkably safe. The greater danger, for most people, is leaving the subconscious patterns running your life unaddressed for another decade, patterns that quietly cost you opportunities, relationships, money, and energy in ways you've stopped noticing because they've simply become "how things are." Ready to work with someone you can trust? If you're a high-performing professional ready to address the patterns underneath, the most important thing is working with a practitioner who knows what they're doing and operates with integrity. Book a discovery call, and let's have a real conversation about what you want to change and whether we're the right fit to do the work together. Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Ole Hill Ole Hill, Success Hypnotist Ole is Australia’s best hypnotist, working with business owners, entrepreneurs, and athletes to harness the full power of their subconscious mind. Founder of the Hypnotic Personality Reset method, he has worked with CEO’s, international athletes, and hundreds of cases of psychological issues like ADHD, autism, anxiety, addiction, and depression.

Written by Sandy Michael, Certified Clinical Sex Coach & Sexologist Sandy Michael is a Certified Clinical Sex Coach, Sexologist, and founder of Unmuted. She helps individuals and couples explore intimacy, communication, desire, and connection through honest conversation, curiosity, and shame-free self-expression. Burnout has become one of the defining conversations of modern life. We're talking about exhaustion, stress, overwhelm, mental load, productivity, and boundaries. But there's one place burnout shows up that people don't talk about nearly enough: their sex lives. Because when people tell me they've "lost their sex drive," my first question usually isn't about sex. It's about exhaustion. Most people understand that burnout affects their mood, focus, and energy. What they don't always realize is that burnout affects their desire, pleasure, and capacity for erotic connection, too. The problem isn't always desire Many people assume that a lack of sexual interest means something is wrong. They wonder whether they've become less attracted to their partner, whether the spark has disappeared, or whether something in them is broken. Some even begin pressuring themselves to want sex more, believing that desire is something they should simply be able to turn back on. But often, the issue isn't desire. It's depletion. Because desire doesn't thrive in survival mode. Burnout puts the body into survival mode. Burnout affects more than your energy Burnout isn't simply feeling tired. It is physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that leaves little room for pleasure, curiosity, or eroticism. It can show up in countless ways. For some people, it looks like low libido or difficulty becoming aroused. Others struggle to remain present during sex, feel disconnected from their bodies, or find themselves approaching sex from a place of obligation rather than desire. Some avoid sex altogether. And these experiences are not limited to people in committed relationships. Burnout can affect partnered sex, casual sex, dating, and even solo pleasure, because our sexual experiences do not exist separately from our overall wellbeing. Why stress and sex don't always coexist well The nervous system has limited priorities. When the brain perceives chronic stress, its primary focus becomes protection and survival, not pleasure. In other words, it becomes much harder to access the parts of ourselves responsible for curiosity, playfulness, and erotic expression. This is not a failure. It is biology. And in a culture that celebrates productivity while treating rest as something to be earned, many people spend so much time in a state of chronic activation that they forget what it feels like to truly relax. Unfortunately, desire tends to struggle in that environment. In practice Burnout doesn't always announce itself dramatically. Sometimes it sounds like, "I just don't think about sex anymore," "I'm too tired," "I love my partner, but I don't want to be touched," or "By the time I finally have time to myself, I just want everyone to leave me alone." or, "I miss feeling sexual, but I don't even know where that part of me went." These are experiences I hear frequently in my work, and they are often met with unnecessary shame. But exhaustion is not a moral failure. Temporary changes in desire are not evidence that you are broken. When burnout gets mistaken for something else One of the most painful aspects of burnout is that people often misinterpret its effects. They assume they are no longer attracted to their partner. They question the relationship. They wonder whether something has changed fundamentally about who they are sexually. In reality, exhaustion has a way of making everything feel less accessible. Pleasure becomes harder to access. Playfulness becomes harder to access. Presence becomes harder to access. Because sex feels deeply personal, many people mistakenly interpret burnout as a reflection of their relationship or their identity, rather than recognizing it as a sign that their system has been carrying too much for too long. Sometimes the problem isn't attraction or desire. Sometimes it's exhaustion. Reconnection doesn't begin with pressure One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to pressure themselves back into desire. They schedule sex when they don't want it. They criticize themselves for not wanting more. They compare themselves to who they used to be. But pressure rarely creates desire. More often, it creates resentment, anxiety, and even greater disconnection from desire and pleasure. Reconnection usually begins somewhere much gentler. Not with performance. Not with forcing. But with curiosity. Sometimes the question isn't, "How do I want sex more?" Sometimes the better question is, "What would help me feel more like myself again?" For some people, that may mean creating more space for rest. For others, it might involve reconnecting with their body, exploring pleasure without expectations, addressing relationship stress, or simply acknowledging that they have been carrying too much for too long. Because our sex lives do not exist in isolation. Desire isn't something we manufacture through willpower. It emerges when we have enough safety, energy, and capacity to experience pleasure. What burnout really takes away Burnout doesn't just rob people of energy. It often robs them of access to themselves, their playfulness, their pleasure, their eroticism, and their sense of aliveness. Perhaps that is why so many people grieve these changes so deeply. They're not simply mourning sex. They're mourning connection to a part of themselves they once recognized. Where do you go from here? If burnout has left you feeling disconnected from your desire, pleasure, or sexual wellbeing, you don't have to navigate that experience alone. If you're ready to reconnect with yourself and your relationship with sex, schedule a consultation today. I help individuals, couples, and multi-partnered dynamics understand the relationship between stress, desire, and sexual wellbeing so they can create a more authentic and satisfying sex life. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Sandy Michael Sandy Michael, Certified Clinical Sex Coach & Sexologist Sandy Michael is a Certified Clinical Sex Coach, Sexologist, and the founder of Unmuted, coaching focused on intimacy, communication, desire, and authentic self-expression. Her work helps individuals and couples navigate connection, pleasure, emotional intimacy, relationship dynamics, and the conversations many people struggle to have openly. Through a compassionate and non-judgmental approach, Sandy creates space for curiosity, confidence, and deeper connection - both with yourself and with others.

Written by Victoria (Vicky) Russ, Managing Director and Leadership Coach Vicky Russ is a leadership coach and former CEO with 20+ years’ experience across the public, health and education sectors. She specialises in leadership, transformation and helping leaders navigate complex change and life transitions. You know you are capable of more. So why can’t you start? Why does the motivation vanish the moment you need it most? The answer is not willpower. It is something far more fundamental, and far more fixable. Why do we get stuck? It is one of the most common and least understood experiences of professional life. You have the skills. You have the experience. You may even have a clear sense of what you want. Yet something holds you back. The energy is not there. The direction feels unclear. The gap between where you are and where you want to be feels paralysing rather than motivating. For some, the “stuckness” arrives after a major career disruption, redundancy, restructure, burnout, or a long absence from work. For others, it creeps in gradually: a slow erosion of purpose, a growing sense that the career they built no longer fits the person they have become. Either way, the experience is remarkably similar. You are functioning. You are getting through the day. But you are not flourishing. Somewhere inside, you know the difference. The instinct, when we feel stuck, is to try harder. Push through. Set goals. Make a plan. But decades of psychological research suggest that the problem is rarely a lack of effort. It is a lack of the right conditions, the internal conditions that make motivation sustainable, growth possible, and genuine flourishing achievable. Understanding what those conditions are changes everything. The difference between functioning and flourishing The psychologist Corey Keyes developed a model that fundamentally challenges how we think about mental health and wellbeing. His dual continua model demonstrates that the absence of mental illness is not the same as the presence of mental health. You can be free of clinical depression or anxiety and still be languishing, going through the motions, meeting your responsibilities, but not experiencing the vitality, connection, or sense of purpose that characterise a life well lived. Flourishing, in Keyes’ framework, describes a state where individuals combine high levels of subjective wellbeing with optimal psychological and social functioning. It is not about being happy all the time. It is about experiencing meaning, engagement, and growth, about feeling that your life and work are genuinely aligned with who you are. Martin Seligman’s PERMA model builds on this understanding by identifying the five measurable pillars of flourishing: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Seligman’s research, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center, shows that wellbeing is not a single feeling but a composite, and that each pillar can be deliberately strengthened. When all five are present, people do not merely cope. They thrive. When one or more is missing, even outwardly successful people can feel hollow, disconnected, or stuck. This distinction matters enormously for professionals navigating career transitions, returning to work after absence, or recovering from toxic workplace experiences. Many of these people are not unwell in any clinical sense. They are functioning. They are coping. But they are not thriving. The conventional support available to them, job search advice, CV workshops, interview preparation, addresses the functional level without ever touching the deeper question: what would it take for you to flourish? What fuels motivation, and what kills it Self-determination theory, developed by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci over four decades of research, provides one of the most robust answers psychology has to offer about what drives human motivation. Their work, which has been validated across cultures, age groups, and professional contexts, identifies three basic psychological needs that must be met for a person to experience sustained, intrinsic motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy is the need to feel that your actions are self-directed, that you are the author of your own choices, not merely responding to external pressure. Competence is the need to feel effective, that you are growing, learning, and making a meaningful contribution. Relatedness is the need for genuine connection, to feel that you belong, that you matter to others, and that your work exists within a web of meaningful relationships. When these three needs are met, people are naturally motivated, engaged, and resilient. When they are thwarted, by controlling management, by work that feels meaningless, by isolation, or by the sudden loss of a professional role, motivation does not simply decrease. It collapses. No amount of goal setting or positive thinking can compensate for the absence of these fundamental psychological nutrients. This is why so many professionals feel stuck after redundancy or a difficult career transition. It is not that they lack ambition or discipline. It is that the three conditions their motivation depends upon have been disrupted simultaneously. Their autonomy was taken away by a decision they did not make. Their sense of competence was undermined by the implicit message that they were no longer needed. Their relatedness, their professional community, their daily connections, their sense of belonging, disappeared overnight. The engine room of growth If self-determination theory explains what motivation needs, Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden and build theory explains how growth actually happens. Fredrickson’s research, developed at the University of North Carolina, demonstrates that positive emotions are not merely pleasant experiences. They are functional. They are the engine room of personal development. The theory works in four stages. First, the experience of a positive emotion, interest, curiosity, hope, joy, gratitude, or pride in an achievement. Second, a broadening of thought and behaviour: the person becomes more creative, more open to new ideas, and more willing to explore and take risks. Third, the building of personal resources, new skills, new relationships, new ways of thinking, and greater resilience. Fourth, a transformation of the self: the person becomes more capable, more connected, and more confident than they were before. What makes this research so important for anyone feeling stuck is its central finding: while negative emotions narrow our thinking, fight, flight, freeze, positive emotions broaden it. They expand what we are able to see, imagine, and do. The resources built during these moments of broadened awareness outlast the emotions themselves. They accumulate over time, creating an upward spiral of capability and wellbeing. This connects directly to Seligman’s PERMA framework. Positive emotion is the first pillar for good reason, it is the catalyst that unlocks the other four. When we experience positive emotions, we become more engaged, we deepen our relationships, we find greater meaning, and we achieve more. The pillars are not independent. They reinforce one another in exactly the kind of upward spiral that Fredrickson’s research describes. This has profound implications for career transitions. A person who is stuck in fear, shame, or self-doubt after a career setback is operating with a narrowed cognitive repertoire. They cannot see possibilities. They cannot access their creativity. They are surviving, not building. The path to flourishing begins not with a five-year plan but with the deliberate cultivation of the positive emotional states that make growth possible. Building your psychological capital Fred Luthans and colleagues introduced the concept of psychological capital, PsyCap, to describe a set of four positive psychological resources that predict performance, wellbeing, and resilience. The four components form the acronym HERO: hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Hope, in this framework, is not wishful thinking. It is the capacity to set meaningful goals and identify pathways to achieve them. Efficacy is the confidence to take on challenging tasks and persist through difficulty. Resilience is the ability to sustain effort after setbacks and bounce back, and even beyond, to achieve success. Optimism is the tendency to make positive attributions about the future, to believe that effort will lead to meaningful outcomes. What makes PsyCap particularly relevant is that it is not a fixed trait. Twenty-five years of research across multiple countries has demonstrated that psychological capital is a state-like quality. It can be measured, developed, and strengthened through targeted intervention. It is not something you either have or you do not. It is something you can build. That building process is precisely what effective coaching facilitates. The research consistently shows that higher PsyCap is associated with greater job satisfaction, stronger performance, better physical and mental health, and increased wellbeing. For professionals rebuilding after career disruption, developing these four resources is not an optional extra. It is the psychological infrastructure upon which everything else depends. Why conventional career coaching is not enough The data on workplace motivation in the United Kingdom tells a stark story. According to Gallup’s research, only 10 percent of UK workers are engaged in their jobs, placing the UK 33rd out of 38 European countries. Forty percent report feeling stressed, 27 percent feel sad, and 20 percent feel angry at work. Each disengaged employee costs their organisation roughly 20 percent of their annual salary in lost output. These numbers reflect a crisis of motivation on a national scale. Yet the dominant approach to career support remains overwhelmingly practical: find the next role, update the CV, prepare for the interview. This addresses the surface. It does not address the person. Gallup’s own research demonstrates why this matters. People who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged at work, three times more likely to report an excellent quality of life, and 15 percent less likely to leave their jobs. Building on strengths is a far more effective route to performance than trying to fix weaknesses. Yet, most career support barely acknowledges that strengths exist, let alone helps people identify, understand, and deploy them. This is the gap that psychologically informed coaching fills. Not by replacing practical career support, but by going deeper, by working with the whole person, not just their CV. By helping them understand what drives their motivation, what values they want their career to express, what strengths they bring that are uniquely theirs, and what vision of the future would genuinely excite them rather than simply relieve their anxiety. From surviving to thriving: What deeper coaching looks like The coaching approach that integrates these evidence-based frameworks looks fundamentally different from conventional career coaching. It begins not with “What job do you want?” but with “Who are you, and what does flourishing look like for you?” It uses self-determination theory to identify which of the three basic needs, autonomy, competence, or relatedness, has been most disrupted, and to design a path that restores all three. It draws on Fredrickson’s broaden and build theory to deliberately cultivate the positive emotional states that expand thinking and enable growth. It builds psychological capital, hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, so that the person has the internal resources to sustain momentum through the inevitable uncertainties of transition. And it uses Seligman’s PERMA model as a practical compass for the whole journey, ensuring that the career being built is one that delivers not just an income but positive emotion, genuine engagement, meaningful relationships, a sense of purpose, and real accomplishment. A career scored against all five pillars is a career designed to sustain you, not deplete you. It integrates strengths and values work at every stage. Not as a box-ticking exercise, but as the foundation of a career that fits. A career that aligns with who you actually are, not who you think you should be. A career that integrates with your life purpose, your goals, and the things that give you energy, so that work becomes a source of vitality rather than a source of depletion. This is coaching that bridges the gap between functioning and flourishing. It does not just help people find the next job. It helps them find the version of themselves that has been waiting to emerge. It is not therapy, but it is psychologically informed. It is not mentoring, but it draws on lived experience. It addresses a need that very few practitioners are currently meeting: the need for career support that treats the human being, not just the career. The question worth asking If you are feeling stuck, unmotivated, or disconnected from the work you are doing or the life you are living, the problem is almost certainly not a lack of effort. It is a lack of the conditions that make effort meaningful. Your autonomy, your competence, your sense of connection, your positive emotions, your psychological capital, one or more of these has been depleted, and no amount of pushing through will restore them. The research is clear. Motivation is not a character trait. It is a product of conditions. Those conditions can be created, rebuilt, and sustained, with the right support. The question is not “Why can’t I get motivated?” The question is “What would it take for me to flourish?” That question deserves a proper answer. The answer is worth investing in. Ten ways to start building positive emotions today Fredrickson’s research shows that positive emotions are not a reward for getting life right. They are the starting point. The following practices are small, evidence-based, and designed to be sustainable. Choose two or three to begin with. The goal is not to feel positive all the time, that is unrealistic, it is to create the conditions that broaden your thinking and build the personal resources you need to grow. Three good things. Each evening, write down three things that went well and why. This is one of the most extensively researched positive psychology interventions, shown to increase wellbeing and reduce depressive symptoms within two weeks. Strengths in action. Choose one of your signature strengths, VIA Character, each week and find a new way to use it every day. If your strength is curiosity, ask a question you have been avoiding. If it is kindness, do something deliberately generous. Notice how it feels. Savour the small things. When something positive happens, however small, pause and fully experience it. We are wired to dwell on negatives; savouring deliberately strengthens the neural pathways for positive experience. Get specific with gratitude. Go beyond generic thankfulness. Instead of “I’m grateful for my family,” try “I’m grateful my daughter made me laugh this morning.” Specificity deepens the emotional impact. Protect your energy. Carry out an energy audit. Identify the activities that energise you most and schedule at least one into every day, even fifteen minutes. Treat it as non-negotiable. Connect with one person daily. Reach out with a genuine message, not a networking message, but a human one. Relatedness is one of the three basic psychological needs, and even small moments of connection have measurable effects on wellbeing. Learn something new. Novelty stimulates curiosity and interest, two of the most growth-promoting positive emotions. Read a book, listen to podcasts, learn a language, paint, draw, create. The broadening effect transfers across every area of your life. Move your body with attention. Physical activity reliably generates positive emotion, but the key is noticing how your body feels during and after. Walking in nature, in particular, reduces rumination and increases creative thinking. See item 3. Check your values compass. Once a week, review your core values and ask: did I live in alignment with these? Where did I drift? This keeps your decisions anchored in what matters most. Visualise your future self. Spend five minutes imagining the version of you who is flourishing, professionally and personally. Research shows this increases optimism and goal-directed behavior, inspiring you to work through the less stimulating tasks. Be as vivid and specific as you can. You were not built to function. You were built to flourish. The science says you can. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Victoria (Vicky) Russ Victoria (Vicky) Russ, Managing Director and Leadership Coach Vicky Russ is a leadership coach and former CEO with over 20 years’ experience across the public, health and education sectors. She specialises in leadership, transformation and helping leaders navigate complex change and life transitions. Her work focuses on supporting leaders to maintain performance while creating psychologically safe, high-performing cultures. Vicky is also a teacher of Positive Psychology Leadership and brings a practical, human approach to even the most challenging situations. She is passionate about “protecting the protectors” and helping leaders move from pressure to purpose. References: Ryan, R.M. and Deci, E.L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. Ryan, R.M. and Deci, E.L. (2017). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Press. Fredrickson, B.L. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218-226. Fredrickson, B.L. (2004). The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 359(1449), 1367-1377. Seligman, M.E.P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. Free Press. Seligman, M.E.P. (2018). PERMA and the Building Blocks of Well-Being. Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(4), 333-335. Luthans, F., Youssef-Morgan, C.M., and Avolio, B.J. (2015). Psychological Capital and Beyond. Oxford University Press. Luthans, F. and Youssef-Morgan, C.M. (2024). Psychological capital and mental health: Twenty-five years of progress. Organizational Dynamics, 53(4). Keyes, C.L.M. (2002). The Mental Health Continuum: From Languishing to Flourishing in Life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43(2), 207-222. Gallup (2025). State of the Global Workplace 2025 Report. gallup.com Gallup (2024). Employees Who Use Their Strengths Outperform Those Who Don’t. gallup.com/workplace Health and Safety Executive (2025). Work-related stress, anxiety and depression statistics in Great Britain 2024/25. hse.gov.uk CHEER At Work (2026). UK Employee Engagement Statistics 2025-2026. cheeratwork.com Linley, P.A. and Harrington, S. (2006). Strengths Coaching: A Potential-Guided Approach to Coaching Psychology. International Coaching Psychology Review, 1(1), 37-46.

Written by Mona Liza Santos, Award-Winning Children's Author & Emotional Literacy Advocate Mona Liza Santos is an award-winning children’s author and founder of World Love Press. She has written more than 40 books focused on emotional literacy, kindness, confidence, and cultural identity, inspiring families, educators, and young readers worldwide through heartfelt storytelling and meaningful life lessons. We live in a world where we can connect with almost anyone at any time, yet many people still find themselves searching for a sense of belonging. Despite all the ways technology has brought us closer together, there are moments when people feel disconnected from their communities, their families, and sometimes even from themselves. In a world that changes rapidly, where trends come and go, and life often feels fast-paced and uncertain, many people find themselves asking the same question: "Where do I belong?" As a children's author, mother, and someone who has spent years writing about kindness, emotional literacy, confidence, and belonging, I have come to believe that part of the answer often begins with understanding where we come from. The human need to belong Belonging is one of the most basic human needs, yet it can sometimes feel harder to find than ever before. Many people are raising children far from where they grew up. Others have lost connections to family traditions, cultural practices, or stories that once brought generations together. Social media allows us to see thousands of people every day, but it does not always create meaningful connections. In some ways, it can even leave people feeling more isolated or uncertain about who they are. At the same time, children are growing up in an increasingly diverse and ever-changing world. They are exposed to more cultures, ideas, and experiences than previous generations, which can be a beautiful thing. But it can also leave some children wondering how their own story fits into the bigger picture. Belonging is not simply about fitting in. It is about feeling accepted without having to change who you are. It is knowing that your experiences matter, your story matters, and that there is a place where you can be fully yourself. In many ways, the search for belonging is really a search for connection. People want to feel understood. They want to feel valued. They want to know that they matter and that their story has a place in the world. When children grow up with that sense of belonging, it often shapes how they see themselves, how they relate to others, and how confident they feel navigating life. When that sense of belonging is missing, people can spend years searching for something they cannot quite put into words. Perhaps that is why understanding where we come from feels so important. Our roots, traditions, family stories, and cultural identities often provide a sense of connection that reminds us we are part of something larger than ourselves. They help us understand who we are, where we came from, and how our story fits into the stories of those who came before us. Why knowing where you come from matters For many people, the feeling of belonging begins with understanding where they come from. Long before children learn about the wider world, they begin learning about themselves through the people around them. They hear family stories, participate in traditions, celebrate holidays, and absorb values passed down through generations. Whether they realize it or not, these experiences help shape how they view themselves and where they fit in the world. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve family gatherings, traditions, and stories shared by older relatives. At the time, they simply felt like ordinary moments. Looking back, I realize those experiences helped build a deeper understanding of who I was and where I came from. Our roots are not just about history. They are about identity. They help us understand the experiences, sacrifices, values, and traditions that shaped the generations before us. They remind us that we are part of a larger story and that our lives are connected to something beyond ourselves. In a world that often moves quickly and constantly changes, those connections can provide a sense of stability. They help children develop confidence, self-worth, and a stronger understanding of their place in the world. When children learn about their heritage, they often gain something far more valuable than information. They gain a sense of pride, belonging, and connection. Knowing where you come from does not mean living in the past. It means carrying forward the lessons, stories, and traditions that helped shape you while continuing to grow into the person you are becoming. The lasting impact of belonging on children Children may not always have the words to explain what belonging feels like, but they know when they experience it. They know when they feel welcomed. They know when they feel included. They know when their voice matters. They know when they feel proud of who they are. Just as importantly, they know when they do not. Many of the beliefs children develop about themselves begin forming long before adulthood. The way they are treated, the environments they grow up in, the stories they hear, and the people who surround them all help shape how they see themselves and the world around them. When children feel accepted and valued for who they are, they are often more willing to express themselves, share their ideas, and build meaningful relationships. They tend to develop greater confidence because they are not spending their energy trying to fit into spaces where they feel they do not belong. Instead, they are free to grow into the person they were meant to become. On the other hand, children who constantly feel invisible, disconnected, or unsure of where they fit in may carry those feelings with them for years. Sometimes those experiences quietly influence how they view their worth, their abilities, and their place in the world. That is why belonging is so much more than a nice idea. It plays an important role in emotional wellbeing, confidence, identity, and human connection. Every child deserves to grow up feeling proud of who they are, connected to where they come from, and confident that their story matters. When children feel that sense of belonging early in life, it often becomes a foundation they carry with them long into adulthood. Why representation matters Throughout that journey, one thing became clear to me, children want to know that their story matters. Books help children understand both the world around them and themselves. When children see experiences, traditions, families, and cultures that reflect their own lives, it reminds them that they belong. At the same time, stories introduce them to people whose experiences may be different from their own, helping build curiosity, empathy, and understanding. This belief has inspired many of my books. One example is The Filipino in Me. While the book celebrates Filipino culture, traditions, family values, and heritage, its deeper message is universal. It encourages children to feel proud of who they are while appreciating and respecting others. The goal was never simply to teach children about one culture. It was to remind them that every family, every culture, and every person has a story worth sharing. When children grow up seeing themselves reflected in stories while learning about the experiences of others, they begin to understand that belonging is not about being the same. It is about feeling accepted for who you are while extending that same acceptance to others. That understanding creates the foundation for empathy, respect, and meaningful human connection. Embracing your roots doesn't separate us, it connects us One of the biggest misconceptions about heritage is that celebrating our own culture separates us from others. In reality, I have found that it often brings people closer together. When people understand and appreciate where they come from, they are usually more open to learning about others as well. Every family has stories, traditions, and experiences that help shape who they are. While those stories may look different from one culture to another, many of the values and emotions behind them are surprisingly similar. That is why I believe embracing our roots is not about creating division. It is about creating connection. When children learn about their own heritage, they often become more curious about the heritage of others. They begin asking questions, listening, and discovering that every culture has something meaningful to share. The more we understand our own story, the easier it becomes to appreciate someone else's. That understanding creates opportunities for empathy, respect, and deeper human connection. The inspiration behind Heritage and Heart Day As I continued writing books centered around kindness, belonging, emotional literacy, confidence, and cultural identity, I began noticing how closely these themes were connected. No matter our age, background, or culture, many of us are searching for the same things. I also realized that many children grow up without fully understanding their family stories, cultural traditions, or the experiences that shaped the generations before them. At the same time, many adults are searching for a deeper connection to their identity, heritage, and sense of belonging. That realization eventually inspired me to create Heritage and Heart Day, observed annually on October 15. The observance was created to encourage people to embrace their roots, learn their family stories, celebrate their heritage, and take pride in the traditions that helped shape them. At the same time, it encourages people to approach others with curiosity, empathy, kindness, and respect. That is where the "heart" comes in. Heritage and Heart Day is not only about understanding where we come from. It is also about appreciating the stories, experiences, and cultures of others. In many ways, it is a reminder that we can celebrate our own identity while still creating space for others to celebrate theirs. My hope is that the observance encourages meaningful conversations within families, schools, workplaces, and communities. When people understand their own story and become open to learning about someone else's, it often creates stronger connections and a greater sense of belonging for everyone. Building connection through heritage and heart One of the things I love most about Heritage and Heart Day is that it welcomes everyone. No matter your race, culture, nationality, background, or family story, everyone has roots worth exploring and a story worth sharing. The observance was created to encourage people to learn more about where they come from, embrace their heritage, and feel proud of the traditions, experiences, and values that helped shape who they are today. At the same time, Heritage and Heart Day is not only about understanding our own story. It is also about learning to appreciate the stories of others. When people feel secure in their identity and connected to their roots, they are often more open to listening, learning, and building meaningful connections with people whose experiences may be different from their own. Some of the most meaningful conversations can happen in everyday moments. A child asking a grandparent about their childhood, a family sharing stories around the dinner table, a classroom learning about different cultures, or a community coming together to celebrate its diversity can all create opportunities for connection. These moments may seem simple, but they help build confidence, understanding, belonging, and respect for one another. In many ways, Heritage and Heart Day is not really about a single day on the calendar. It is about encouraging conversations that continue throughout the year. It is about helping people stay connected to their roots, understand their family stories, and celebrate what makes them unique while also recognizing that every person, every family, and every culture has something valuable to contribute. My hope is that people walk away feeling proud of who they are without feeling the need to hide or change parts of themselves to fit in. At the same time, I hope they become more curious about the experiences of others. When people of different backgrounds come together with respect, kindness, and a willingness to learn from one another, we create stronger communities and deeper human connection. That is where meaningful understanding begins. In a world that often feels divided, I believe that matters more than ever. Free resources for families, educators, and communities One of the most important goals behind Heritage and Heart Day was making sure it would be accessible to everyone. I did not want it to be something people could only participate in if they had special funding, programs, or resources. I wanted families, schools, educators, workplaces, and communities to have practical tools they could use right away. That is why free downloadable toolkits and resources were created for every age group, from transitional kindergarten through high school, as well as resources for families, educators, workplaces, and communities. Each toolkit was designed to encourage meaningful conversations about heritage, belonging, identity, empathy, and human connection in ways that feel engaging and approachable. My hope is that these resources help people learn more about their own story while creating opportunities to learn about the stories of others. Whether through a classroom activity, a family discussion, a workplace conversation, or a community event, every small effort can help build greater understanding and connection. Readers can learn more about Heritage and Heart Day and access the free educational resources and toolkits through the official Heritage and Heart Day website. Additional information about World Love Press can be found here. Readers interested in exploring cultural identity through storytelling can also learn more about The Filipino in Me, a children's book that celebrates heritage, belonging, family values, and cultural pride. Final thoughts As October 15 approaches, I encourage you to take a moment to learn more about your own story. Ask a grandparent about their childhood. Talk to a parent about family traditions. Look through old photographs. Write down family memories. Learn where your family came from and what experiences helped shape the generations before you. At the same time, take time to learn about someone else's story as well. Ask questions. Listen with curiosity. Be open to traditions, perspectives, and experiences that may be different from your own. Sometimes understanding others begins by first understanding ourselves. Heritage and Heart Day is a reminder that embracing who we are and appreciating others are not opposing ideas. In fact, they often go hand in hand. The more connected we become to our own roots, the more open we often become to learning about the roots of others. My hope is that these conversations continue long after October 15. Every family has a story worth preserving. Every culture has something valuable to share. Every person deserves to feel proud of where they come from while extending that same respect and understanding to others. In an ever-changing world, it can be easy to lose sight of the things that ground us. Our roots remind us where we came from, while our hearts help us connect with people whose stories may be different from our own. When we embrace both, we create stronger families, more connected communities, and a greater sense of belonging for future generations. Because at the end of the day, Heritage and Heart Day is not simply about celebrating the past. It is about carrying the best parts of our stories forward, staying true to who we are, and creating a future where everyone feels they belong. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more info! Read more from Mona Liza Santos Mona Liza Santos, Award-Winning Children's Author & Emotional Literacy Advocate Mona Liza Santos is an award-winning children's author, publisher, and founder of World Love Press. She is the author of more than 40 children's books focused on emotional literacy, kindness, confidence, resilience, and cultural identity. Her work has been recognized by the Mom's Choice Awards for its positive impact on children and families. Inspired by motherhood, global travel, and her Filipino heritage, Mona creates stories that encourage children to embrace who they are and recognize their worth. Mona is also the founder of National Intentional Kindness Day and Heritage and Heart Day, created to promote empathy, inclusion, cultural pride, and meaningful human connection within schools and communities.

Written by Elizabeth Thornhill, Brain Health/Neuroscience Coach Elizabeth Thornhill is a trauma-informed mental health coach specializing in neuroscience and brain-based healing. Her work focuses on helping women understand how past experiences shape the brain and how to rewire thought patterns for lasting change. Have you ever been in the middle of a sentence and watched a word completely vanish from your mind? You are not alone, and there is fascinating neuroscience behind why it happens. Here is what your brain is actually doing, and what it might reveal about you. I have a confession. I am a Neuroscience Coach. I write about the brain for a living. When I sat down to write this article about tip of the tongue moments, those maddening seconds when a word is right there but refuses to come out, I could not, for the life of me, remember a single example of it happening to me. It is certainly not because it never does. My brain, in its infinite wisdom, decided to demonstrate the exact phenomenon I was trying to explain. So if you have ever stood in the middle of a sentence, mouth open, absolutely certain the word exists somewhere in your head, welcome. You are in very good company. Even the Neuroscience Coach does it. What TOT actually is You know the moment. The word you need has completely vanished, and saying "you know, the thing" on repeat somehow feels like it is going to help. It never does. Scientists call this a tip of the tongue moment, TOT for short, and it happens to many people, including, embarrassingly, those of us who study the brain professionally. Here is the reassuring part, the word has not gone anywhere. Your brain simply needs a moment to search its very full filing cabinet, and it will find what it is looking for eventually. The brain's retrieval failure Here is something most people do not realize, recalling a word and being able to say it out loud are actually two separate brain processes. Finding the memory is one thing, but converting it into spoken language involves a completely different part of the brain. It is that second step that fails during a TOT moment. Research has actually identified the specific region responsible, a small area called the left insula, and people with less activity there experience TOT moments more often. This tends to happen naturally as we age, but here is the part I love, studies show that people who exercise regularly have significantly less decline in this area and fewer TOT moments as a result. Stress makes it worse Now, I realize I may have just talked about aging and exercise in one breath and am now about to tell you that TOT moments can also be a sign of intelligence, and you are probably wondering which it is. The honest answer is that it can be both, depending on the person and the situation. A 2026 study found that people with richer, more densely connected knowledge networks in their brains experience TOT moments more frequently, simply because their brain has more to sort through. So while age and fitness play a role, having a well stocked, highly connected brain is also a very legitimate trigger. Which means that the next time a word escapes you mid sentence, there is a reasonable chance your brain is just impressively busy. A sign of intelligence? Now, I realize I may have just talked about aging and exercise in one breath and am now about to tell you that TOT moments can also be a sign of intelligence, and you are probably wondering which it is. The honest answer is that it can be both, depending on the person and the situation. Some cognitive research suggests that people with richer, more densely connected knowledge networks in their brains may experience TOT moments more frequently, simply because their brain has more to sort through. So while age and fitness play a role, having a well stocked, highly connected brain may also be a very legitimate trigger. Which means that the next time a word escapes you in the middle of a sentence, there is a reasonable chance your brain is just impressively busy. How to get words back So what do you actually do when it happens? The single most effective thing, and I say this knowing full well how annoying it sounds, is to stop trying. When you force it, you create mental tension that blocks the very pathway you are trying to open. Relax, let the conversation move on, and your brain will quietly keep working in the background. The word will come when your brain is no longer under pressure to perform. For the longer term, regular exercise genuinely helps keep your left insula sharp, which may be the most unexpected fitness motivation you have ever come across. So the next time it happens at a dinner party, you have my full permission to blame your left insula, poke a little fun at yourself, and enjoy the laugh, because now you actually know why. Let's stay connected If you found this interesting and want to explore more about how your brain shapes your everyday life, I would love to connect. Visit me here or find me on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like my interview on understanding brain patterns to create lasting change. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info. Read more from Elizabeth Thornhill Elizabeth Thornhill, Brain Health/Neuroscience Coach Elizabeth Thornhill is a neuroscience-informed trauma coach specializing in brain-based healing and behavioral transformation. Her work focuses on helping women understand how past experiences shape brain function, driving patterns that often feel impossible to change. Through practical, science-backed tools, she equips her clients to rewire their thinking and create lasting, measurable change. She believes the past does not have to define the future and that meaningful change is always possible. Her mission is to help women break free from limiting patterns and step fully into the lives they are capable of building.